A man is expected to face court after thousands of dollars’ worth of police resources were used to rescue his vessel in the Gulf of Carpentaria on Tuesday.

Mount Isa Police District Inspector Trevor Kidd said the same vessel had been rescued on four separate occasions in the past two years in similar circumstances. 

“People really do need to take responsibility for their actions,” he said.

“The boat involved was a six-metre boat owned by a local Mornington Island man.”

Inspector Kidd said the owner was not on the boat in the most recent instance but he was on the past three. 

“The owner had on this occasion loaned the boat to some friends,” he said.

The man is expected to face court after thousands of dollars worth of police resources were used to rescue his vessel.

Mornington Island Police reminded recreational boat users of the importance of sound vessel maintenance. 

Two men became stranded at sea after running out of fuel on a boat trip from Mornington Island to Bayleys Point on the mainland in the lower Gulf of Carpentaria.  

Police and rescue services were made aware of the stranded vessel when they activated an EPIRB at about 5.45pm on Tuesday. The Australian Search and Rescue Authority, which is based in Canberra, conducted two fly-over reconnaissance missions with specially equipped aeroplanes to locate the vessel and determine the status of any occupants. 

The boaties were eventually rescued by Mornington Island Volunteer Marine Rescue who located the pair cold and wet at 9.45am on Wednesday morning. Acting Senior Sergeant Murray Jensen from Mornington Island Police said safety should be paramount.

“Maritime search and rescue capabilities shouldn’t be considered a convenient safety net for sloppy seamanship,” he said. He said this  rescue, costing  thousands of dollars, could have been avoided for the cost of a couple of jerry cans of fuel.

Investigations into the incident are continuing, but initial inquiries reveal that neither of the boat’s occupants had a boat licence. 

“At the conclusion of investigations police anticipate that the skipper will be required to attend court in relation to several marine offences,” Acting Senior Sergeant Jensen said.

He said officers were frustrated at the number of search and rescue responses that could be easily avoided if basic trip planning was conducted. 

“Whilst it’s perfectly understandable that some mechanical breakdowns can’t be foreseen, search and rescue operations are often undertaken where vessels have simply run out of fuel or ceased functioning due to poor or non-existent maintenance regimes,” he said.

“Marine Safety Queensland has excellent checklist and information to avoid been stranded and risking the safety of your family and friends.”